College Academic Counselor

The Academic/College Counselor oversees the delivery of academic and college counseling services and program development in assigned secondary school(s) with a focus on one or more of the following areas, as directed by the principal(s): (1.) high school academic success, (2.) early college academic success, and (3.) college access and success.  In these area(s), the Academic/College Counselor implements a comprehensive school counseling program based on an analysis of student data that addresses needs for all students through advocacy and collaboration, with the goals of promoting student success, providing preventive services, and responding to emerging student needs.  The Academic/College Counselor supports advisors in the delivery of guidance curriculum, develops individual student plans, communicates actively with families, and provides school wide system support. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Overall

• Develop and maintain a written plan for effective delivery and continuous improvement of the school counseling program at your site(s), in collaboration with each site’s principal, dean(s), leadership team, special education team, and social/emotional counselor(s).
• Assist all students, individually and/or in groups, with developing academic, career and personal goals and plans to support attainment of those goals.
• Collaborate with parents/guardians/other family members and colleagues in supporting students with the attainment of their academic, career, and life goals.
• Accurately and appropriately collect, interpret, and present student outcomes data to drive student plans and to determine and monitor program development goals.
• Develop, implement, and continually improve an effective referral, tracking and follow-up process for academic, early college, and/or college counseling services.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve student and family activities and programming to deliver academic, early college, and/or college counseling services.
• Adhere to laws, Aspire policies, procedures and ethical standards of the school counseling profession, including mandated reporting responsibilities and maintaining complete, confidential student records.
• Demonstrate knowledge and support of the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, value statements, standards, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and code of ethical behavior.
• Foster an equity-based approach that allocates additional resources for struggling learners, special education students, and/or other students who are less well served by Aspire-wide and/or school site policies and procedures.
• Foster an equity-based approach that allocates resources for all seniors across their many post-secondary plans, whether they be 4-year, 2-year, or workforce development.
• Use available technology resources to enhance the school counseling program.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities Associated with Continuous Program Improvement

• Conduct a yearly program reflection and review to compare student outcomes with annual continuous program improvement goals, and use data to drive future continuous program improvement goals.
• Share annual goals and reflections with stakeholders and decision-makers.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities for High School and Early College High School Academic Success

• Assist students and parents in determining the academic and early college program choices that best suit the student’s continued success, including meeting graduation requirements.
• Monitor student academic performance and assist the school administration with appropriate interventions.
• Ensure the timely and consistent delivery of written communication and written intervention plans for students and families when a student is off-track for meeting graduation requirements.
• Work with principal and Lead Team to track student progress toward the 15-credit early college graduation requirement and communicate this progress to students and families.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities for College Access and Success

• Work with students, families, and colleagues to foster a strong college-going culture oriented toward post-secondary success in alignment with Aspire’s College for Certain mission, vision, and values.
• In collaboration with the Home Office, serve as the school site’s keeper of college access and success student outcomes data and advocate for site-based college access and success programming and supports.
• Within and appropriate to the school’s local context, and in collaboration with colleagues, design and implement a multi-faceted college access and success program, including college seminars, college tours, visits to the school site by college admissions representatives, financial aid and scholarship support, the development of non-cog skills and college confidence, and the college-oriented aspects of advisory and exhibitions.
• Within and appropriate to the school’s local context, and in collaboration with colleagues, design and implement a post-secondary success planning process so that all students leave high school with clear steps for post-secondary program matriculation.

Professional Development for Others

• Provide appropriate information and training to staff related to the comprehensive school counseling program and key student outcomes around academic, college, and early college counseling.
• Assist teachers, parents/guardians and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student outcomes data and continuous program improvement goals.

Professional Development for Self

• Advocate for site participation in 3 key annual conferences – UC, CSU, and CSAC/Cal Grant – to get key updates, continually improve knowledge of these complex systems, and build relationships with UC, CSU, and CSAC staff and administrators.
• Actively participate in regional professional development days by carving out time for collaboration and learning with Academic/College Counselors at other sites, in addition to shared regional professional development activities.
• Actively participate in Aspire-wide Academic/College Counseling Team professional development.
• Seek out additional opportunities for professional development, such as WACAC, NACAC, NPEA, NCAN, etc., and attend when appropriate and affordable.

Summer Responsibilities

• Annual review of outcomes from the current year and planning for the next year.
• Collaboratively participate in closing activities for current year and opening activities for the next year.
• Collaborate with the registrars to ensure that final college transcripts get sent.
• Identify students at-risk for not matriculating to a post-secondary program, and provide support.
• Identify students at-risk for not promoting/graduating on time, and provide support.
• Collaboratively participate in summer school and/or summer credit recovery activities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1) Required knowledge, skills & abilities:

•  Knowledge of current state and federal laws governing counseling and adherence to these laws.
• Maintains professional confidentiality and works collaboratively with the Director of College Initiatives, Social/Emotional Counseling Team, school administration, faculty, and staff.
• Works with all constituents in a pleasant and cooperative manner.
• Assists in the implementation all Aspire academic policies at the school site level.
• Demonstrates a willingness and skill in presenting policies to small and large groups.

 2) Minimum educational level:

• Bachelor's Degree required; Master’s Degree in Counseling preferred

• Pupil Personnel Services Credential preferred

• 1 year or more implementing a school counseling program (can include internship year)
• Previous teaching experience preferred
• Knowledgeable of college admissions requirements preferred